Previous research on stuttering has largely focused on the speech, organic, psychological, and auditory characteristics of stutterers. Almost no attention has been given to sociological aspects, despite the fact that the prevalence and manifestation of stuttering are affected by both culture and social structure. This proposed research, therefore, is an exploratory study of the sociology of stuttering. The main concerns are stutterers' speech patterns, self perceptions, and social behavior. Patients currently in therapy programs at two different speech clinics and former patients of a third clinic comprise the subjects for this investigation. In-depth interviews are planned for a potential sample of forty-one stutterers, but subjects will be permitted to complete the questionnaire schedule themselves if they are embarrassed to talk about their speech defect or have serious difficulty in communication. The results of this study may alert sociologists interested in health problems to this neglected but important topic and lead to more comprehensive research in the future. Our findings may also be of pratical value to speech therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, teachers, and other professionals that deal with the disorder of stuttering.